Year of the Spark: January 18
by Sparky Army
Summary: They're finally bringing her home. The 18th installement of YOTS.


_We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers that Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you, and anyone who might happen to read these works, agree. _

_And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some fun--and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!_

**Note from the Author (Hannah554):** **This is kind of a sequel to my January 4****th**** fic but it works as a stand alone too. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Broken  
**_By Hannah554_

He couldn't believe it was true; he'd almost given up hope.

Elizabeth was alive and now they knew where, he'd been close to hugging Rodney when he'd found their lost leader's whereabouts in the computer of a replicator ship. The team had double timed it back to Atlantis where they'd immediately set about the task of convincing Sam to let them go after her. She'd been reluctant at first, it was a huge risk, a dangerous mission that was probably just as likely to fail as it was to succeed.

She had eventually given them the okay but had said she wouldn't order anybody to go, it was a voluntary mission and within an hour John had a list of volunteers a mile long. His own team being at the top, just before Major Lorne's and even a large number of civilians, all of them willing to put their lives on the line if it meant bringing Elizabeth home.

He'd put together a rescue team consisting of himself, his team and Major Lorne's team. Colonel Caldwell volunteered the use of his ship even before John had asked him for it and with everything set they had left Atlantis with the hope that when they returned, Elizabeth would be with them.

Everything had gone to plan for a change; the Deadalus was keeping the ship busy while his team along with Major Lorne's searched for Elizabeth. Major Lorne's team was able to get into the ship's computer and radio John with her position. Another radio call from Caldwell had informed him they didn't have long and John ordered Lorne's team back to the Deadalus.

They found the room she was being held in fairly quickly and after Rodney had made several unsuccessful attempts to unlock the door Ronon blasted their way in. She had backed away from them immediately, had scrambled her way into the corner and their presence in the room seemed to only make her worse. He told the others to wait outside and approached her slowly, knowing that their time was running out but not wanting to scare her any more than they already had. God, what had they done to her?

She wouldn't meet his gaze, wouldn't look up from the floor and she pulled her legs up to her chest and held her arms tightly around them.

"Elizabeth," he whispered and she flinched at the sound of his voice. "Elizabeth, can you hear me?"

"You're not real," she stated more to herself than to him and he closed his eyes against the rush of emotions that hit him before he tried to reach her again.

"Elizabeth, it's me, I've come to take you home," he told her and she finally looked up at him, slowly and with so much terror in her eyes that he vowed then and there to make every last Replicator pay for what they'd done to her. It wasn't the same Elizabeth that sat in front of him now, she was broken and he prayed to whatever God or higher power was out there that the damage was fixable.

She appeared to study him, trying to judge if he was real or not and seemed to be mostly fixated on his eyes. She reached a shaky hand toward him and stopped it just before she touched his face, regarding him with a wary curiosity and the tiniest bit of hope. "You have his eyes," she whispered. "You've never got his eyes exactly right before."

"That's because it's me," he replied, reaching for her hand before she could pull it away and she continued to study him, still trying to figure him out when the ship rocked violently. "Elizabeth, we need to leave. Caldwell can't keep the ship busy for long."

After several more moments where she seemed to decide to trust him, he stood up, keeping hold of her hand and using it to carefully pull her up from the floor. He seriously hoped he hadn't taken all of her weight when he did because no person should be that light. When they left the room the rest of his team turned to look at them with concerned and relieved expressions but they seemed to scare Elizabeth. She took a step backwards, away from them and toward the small room that had been her prison.

John tightened his grip on her hand as a nearby explosion told them they had to leave now or they were never going to. "It's alright," John told her and she reluctantly allowed him to pull her back toward him, she stepped closer to him than she had been before as though seeking protection from the very people that had come to save her.

Elizabeth never relinquished her hold on him even when they had reached the transport co-ordinates and were transported safely aboard the Deadalus. A waiting doctor tried to take her to the infirmary but she gripped John's hand tighter and backed herself into his arm. "I'll take her," he told the young doctor who nodded and allowed John to follow behind her with Elizabeth.

Even in the infirmary Elizabeth refused to let go of his hand, she flinched every time someone came near her and the nurses proved to be some of the most patient people John had ever met. He couldn't help but think that if Carson had been there he would have had Elizabeth calm and most probably have gotten through all of this in record time. John was forced to close his eyes or look elsewhere several times but the medical staff finally declared they were done. They gave a brief summary of her not so great condition and then told her to sleep. Their orders to rest most likely fell on deaf ears since Elizabeth seemed as coherent as she had when they'd found her.

He somehow managed to get Elizabeth to lie down and one of the nurses was kind enough to put a chair beside the bed so he could sit down. He used his free hand to pull the blanket up around Elizabeth's shoulders. Her green eyes were watching him as though she was still expecting him to morph into a replicator and it was then he realised why she was afraid and he suppressed the wave of anger he would have to deal with later. If the replicators had used their mind intruding hands to make her think that anyone on Atlantis, especially him, had hurt her then he was going to make sure that whilst he was making the replicators pay, that it hurt them ten times as much.

More than anger though, he felt guilty. He should have found her sooner, should have gotten to her quicker. He'd been too slow, left it too late and he couldn't help but worry that the damage was done.

He stayed with her, holding her hand until exhaustion won her over and she fell to sleep. It wasn't until Colonel Caldwell and his team walked in that he let go of her and walked over t them. "How is she?" Caldwell asked.

"Not so good, she won't let anyone near her," John told them "Doctor says she's slightly malnourished but other than that and a few bruises that were most likely the result of a few falls, she's physically fine."

"She seems to trust you though," Ronon pointed out.

"It's probably best if you stay with her until we get back to Atlantis," Caldwell stated and John nodded in agreement.

"Tell her..." Rodney began with a glance over John's shoulder to where their friend was sleeping. "Tell her we're glad she's safe."

Rodney and Ronon left along with Teyla who had been allowed to accompany them on the mission so long as she stayed aboard the Deadalus. Her pregnancy was beginning to show itself and John had no intention of allowing her back on duty, even for a mission this important, Elizabeth would have kicked his ass for it later.

"We did it Colonel," Caldwell stated far too knowingly for John's liking. "You saved her." John didn't miss Caldwell's switch from 'we' to 'you' and couldn't think of any response so he simply stood there in silence. "Now let's take her home," Caldwell finished before he left the room.


End file.
